Systems and methods for verifying vehicle occupancy

ABSTRACT

The network system triggers registration of the start of a transport journey in response to a communication of a transport user device and a transport provider device with each other, performs a continuous coordinated proximity monitoring to verify the identity of a transport user and a transport provider vehicle, and triggers registration of the end of the transport journey through communication of the transport user device and the transport provider device with each other.

This application claims priority of Provisional Patent Application60/900,808 filed Feb. 12, 2007 and is a division of Ser. No. 12/069,656filed Feb. 12, 2008.

This invention relates to a ground transportation network. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to a ground transportation networkmatching individuals with transport capacity on a supply and demandbasis.

Transport capacity, for example cars, often travel long distances withminimal load (i.e., SUVs on daily commutes with only the driveroccupying the vehicle). Such capacity is disused because of a number ofreasons, including (a) an occasional need for greater capacity causesconsumers to buy excess transportation capacity, (b) variations inschedule and destinations traveled create non-matched transportationneeds compared with other household members, (c) lack of knowledge oftrusted users who could conveniently use this excess capacity, and (d)difficulty in providing an economic benefit to incentivize the driver toshare their excess capacity. Meanwhile, the driver of a vehicle oftenhas no choice but to use a personal transport vehicle (despite the highcosts involved) because of lack of accessibility, inconvenientscheduling, or multiple interchanges required if they were to rely onpublic transport systems.

Proposals have been made, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,730, touse a central assigning system and communications devices adapted to beassociated with vehicles for transmitting information from the vehiclesto the central assigning system, and for receiving information from thecentral assigning system. In the 1990s, the US Department ofTransportation designated this “Dynamic Ridesharing” area a specificarea of research interest, under the designation ATIS8 as part of theNational ITS Architecture, and has proposed methods for transactions,interchange of billing data, and the like. Such systems, if implemented,would represent advances over methods in common practice, however, it isbelieved the invention described herein makes such systems morepractical and useful because of the following significant innovationsand claims: methods to reduce the workload/steps necessary on the driverand the rider to make this system more inconvenient; methods to improvethe trustability of drivers and riders, increasing the likelihood peoplewill use this system; a hardware device which would communicate visuallyto external riders; automatic determination and registration oftransport capacity destination and capacity, increasing availability ofshared transport vehicles; methods to characterize and publishinformation about “ad-hoc” transport capacity in manners similar totraditional, centrally controlled transit systems, in order to increasetrust and ridership in the system; and an ad-hoc nature to the proposedsystem which enables casual use by registered users.

The inefficient use of transport capacity results in approximately 3-4times as many cars on the road as would be necessary if capacity wereonly 50% occupied. This has the additional implications created by theexcess consumption of fuel in potential environment problems (CO₂pollution and global warming) as well as geopolitical problems (forexample, many countries including the United States could be energyself-sufficient if they used their existing transportation capacity only40% better (versus the 200+% better that could theoretically beachieved).

In cities such as Los Angeles, the transportation network is largelydysfunctional (i.e., the average worker spends 1.6 hours of their day inunproductive and costly commuting via personal car on congestedhighways). Additionally, such a consumer cannot rely on public transitbecause mass transit “doesn't take them from where they live to wherethey work”.

Inadequate “feeder systems” for the public transit network mean thatbillions of dollars are spent creating subway and rail systems that aremassively underused, in terms of persons transported per hour versus thepotential capacity of these rail systems. The flexibility of highway androad networks, along with the critical mass of car penetration and themarketplace dynamic of urban real estate value, however, means thatwherever a highway is built, personal transport cars will soon fill it,creating further urban sprawl, with all the societal and ecologicaldisadvantages that implies.

Personal transport cars are common, among other reasons, because (a) thelack of availability of mass transit networks to serve the home ordestination of the driver, (b) the inconvenience of waiting a long orunknown period of time for public transit, (c) fear of traveling withstrangers or fear in waiting for long periods at public transit points.

Many large cities have successfully implemented mass transit systemswhich are widely used by people from a wide variety of socio-economicbackgrounds (i.e., London, New York, Madrid, Tokyo). While even thesesystems can be improved, these examples show that if a Shared Transportsystem exists with sufficient timeliness and advantages, it will bewidely used. These cities provide transit systems because these systemsreduce their cost for infrastructure (i.e., building ever-larger andmore inefficient highways) and increases productivity for their citizensand the companies in their region.

So, cities have long sought to provide mass transit systems which takepeople from where they live to where they work and/or where they shop.However, since the popularization of highways in the 1950s in the US,cities have become increasingly suburban. Highway systems do notcomplement mass transit systems and, in fact, work against mass transitsystems by enabling urban sprawl to the point where mass transitinfrastructure is unsustainable (at the extremities of a city center,due to lack of population density) and unattractive (because ofinconvenient intermodal interchange). As fewer people use mass transit,less routes are supportable, less area is reachable via mass transit,and thus more people need to rely on relatively costly and ecologicallydamaging individual transport, resulting in the mass transit systemitself imploding with a lack of critical mass, while personal transportsystems simultaneously suffer through massive over-congestion.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system that enablesregular highway traffic and privately owned personal transport systemsto augment and enable public mass transit networks.

It is another object of the invention to match a need to moveindividuals and/or goods from one geographic point to another geographicpoint (“Transport Demand”) with an unrelated driver's unusedtransportation capacity.

It is another object of the invention to provide riders and transportproviders with information services and content that adequately enablethe use and expansion of such a system.

Briefly, the invention provides a network system that matches the supplyand demand of transportation services by incorporating unusedtransportation capacity (i.e., empty seats) with a real-time allocationand matching service that enables individuals and goods to convenientlyhire that capacity with attractive pricing, rapid responsiveness, betterinformation availability and trusted security.

The network system incorporates telecommunications and computingtechnology to match the supply of excess transport capacity with thedemand for personal transport. In areas where a critical mass oftransport providers can be established, this system aims to providepick-up and drop-off service to within a few hundred yards to themajority of locations in the covered area, with response/waiting timesof 3-15 minutes under optimal circumstances. In addition, differentlevels of service can be provided, including the provision of transportfor goods, persons with special needs, and persons or goods withinclosed communities of transit providers.

The network system (“Shared Transport System”) demonstrates howinterconnecting personal communication devices and computer networkswith personal and corporate Shared Transport vehicles can (1) providerevenue streams to drivers who share their vehicle, (2) provide securitythrough the provision of track-ability and identification of bothdrivers and Riders, (3) provide “feeder systems” for public transitnetworks, (4) provide trusted networks of pre-approved providers toaccommodate scheduled services for special needs cases, such as childrenor physically disabled persons, and (5) provide a variety of servicelevels for those who need more than just commuter style transport.

It is believed that an efficient use of the network system would meanthat a significant fraction of those households with two or more carswould no longer require the additional car, and that a smaller portionof a national economy will be devoted to widening and expanding acountry's highway networks and importation of energy sources such asoil.

The below “Shared Transport System” accomplishes this aim by enablingprivate transport vehicles to serve as an extension of the mass transitsystem. Where no mass transit is available, or is inefficient, privatetransport vehicles can act as a public transport mechanism. Where masstransit is available and cost effective and timely, private transportvehicles act as a feeder network to the public transit system.

In situations such as a daily commute, predictable trends will flow fromthe data generated by this shared ride system, and will enable rapid andflexible route allocation that will enable public or private masstransit providers the capability to offer new transit services, such asbus routes, that are determined via stochastic measurement. A rapidlyresponsive and timely public transit network will result in increasingnumbers of public transit riders and recreate the market parameters thatare needed for mass transit systems to gain critical mass in everchanging and expanding markets.

Whereas, many systems exist for measurement of traffic over specificsections of road network (loop detection systems, video cameramonitoring systems), the bulk of these systems are infrastructuredependent and typically measure the transport throughput of a given roadsegment, without capability to evaluate the total journey of thevehicle. It is well known, as well, that GPS systems could be used forthe generation of road usage charging systems that are anticipated tocome into use in the next several years. There are also systems in use,or proposed, that allow traffic speeds to be measured (and displayed oninteractive maps) by the collection of data about the speed of a vehicle(“probe vehicles”) to characterize the speed of segments in a trafficnetwork. However, the advantage of the present system is that it usesthe speed, journey start and end points, intermediate destinations,spare vehicle capacity, and vehicle type characteristics of registeredtransport capacity to automatically generate specific information aboutjourney capabilities between any point in the covered road network. Theavailability of this information is believed to be critical to thesuccess of user acceptance of this method of transport.

A current drawback to carpooling systems, that of lack of informationabout the availability of services and timing between locations, can beovercome through the display of the available transport capacity.

Current mass transport systems, typically run by governmentalorganizations, provide schematic diagrams of the locations served bythese networks, and timetables of operations. These schematic diagramsgive confidence to the transport user that there is a steady flow ofavailable capacity that they can rely upon. With this confidence, thetransport user can elect to rely on public transport rather thanpurchase a car or second car for their household. However, carpoolsystems have had no equivalent, because these carpools are traditionallyorganized between a small group of tightly associated individuals.

The present system generates schematic and geographic maps indicatingcoverage areas, and is also capable of indicating typical availabilityand travel times at a variety of times throughout the day or week, basedoff a model of historic usage and travel times (“stochastic model”).

Another drawback to current carpooling systems, due primarily to thedifficulty of co-ordination and lack of computing and communicationscapabilities, is that they assume the transport user must go to the samedestination, or along the route of the transport provider. This is oftensuboptimal, as transport is often a “last mile” problem, and if onetransport provider moved the transport user to another location wherethey could get directly home (using either public transport or thepresent system), the use of transport capacity could be made much moreefficient, and vastly extend the possible reach and combinations ofdestinations. The present system, because of its ad-hoc nature andcomputational network model, can provide these transfer instructions tothe transport user, and, importantly, providing graphical presentationof the reach of the transport network, giving confidence to the userthat they won't be stranded.

Above was mentioned the issue of fear of traveling with strangers inpublic transit systems. The below system incorporates a securityverifying and rating system to provide that the strangers in SharedTransport systems are trustworthy. For example, (a) bad drivers (thosewith excess points or driving convictions) are not allowed toparticipate in the system, (b) drivers with continually risky behaviorare identified through a real-time rating mechanism available to ridersand the in-car computer measurement system, (c) drivers who do not pickup riders are rated for their proclivity for failing to do so, (d)riders are rated for unusual behavior through a rating mechanismavailable to drivers, and (e) riders who refuse rides or miss rides arerated for their proclivity for doing so.

Alongside the issue of trustable strangers is the issue of anonymity.Riders or drivers may be concerned about their safety if a strangerknows how to contact them via their phone. Thus, the below systemincorporates a mechanism allowing riders and drivers to contact eachother through their phones without knowing the other's phone number orfull name, yet still allowing, for example, a driver to message a riderthat a hat was left in the vehicle.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a network system in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 provides a table of the transport capacity computing andcommunications components of the network system in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 3 provides a table of the rider technology components and riderdemand request details of the network system in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 4 graphically illustrates the marketplace actors, their modes ofaccess, information options and specification for operations of thenetwork system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5a graphically represents the steps of the rider in using thenetwork system in accordance with the invention (Rider Experience);

FIG. 5b provides a table of some functional options of informationspecification and actions of the rider in accordance with the RiderExperience;

FIG. 6a graphically represents a flow chart of the experience of adriver (Driver Experience) in accordance with the invention:

FIG. 6b presents a table of some functional options within the driverexperience and subsystems in using the network system in accordance withthe Driver Experience;

FIG. 7 graphically illustrates various components, subsystems anddatabases required for an optimal implementation of the invention;

FIG. 8a graphically represents the geographic track of a driver on theirjourney between a journey start point and the journey destination, shownas a dark solid line from Parnell Place to Kinsale;

FIG. 8b logically represents the driver's journey of FIG. 8a withcertain intermediate destination points of the driver's journeysummarized, along with activity at each point and the variation oftiming as expected by the shared transport active management system forthat time of day on that route;

FIG. 9a shows a representation of the shared transport network at amoment in time, where active capacity is available (or expected to beavailable);

FIG. 9b shows a logical representation of the shared transport networkdisplaying each stop using compact orthogonal and diagonal lines ratherthan geographic lines to emphasize the city center network'sinterconnections, to minimize distances in the rural areas and topresent the network in a more readable format;

FIG. 10a shows elements and data communication channels used todetermine continuous co-ordinated proximity using a method where it isdesired to have independent confirmation of the positional location;

FIG. 10b represents the logic between elements of FIG. 10 to determineand report on when and where the elements are in continuous co-ordinatedproximity;

FIG. 11a shows elements and data communications channels used todetermine continuous co-ordinated promixity using a method where it isdesired to use near-field communications as means for verifiableproximity;

FIG. 11b represents the logic between elements of FIG. 11a to determineand report on when and where the elements are in continuous co-ordinatedproximity;

FIG. 12a graphically illustrates elements of an Access Control Systemthat would allow restricted or favorably charged access to road orparking resources depending on acceptable business rules for each typeof use in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 12b shows the server-side logic of the Access Control System wherethis authentication is, in the preferred implementation, pushed to thelocal device (where such information needs to be processed inreal-time);

FIG. 12c shows the client-side logic of the Access Control System wherethis authentication is, in the preferred implementation, pushed to thelocal device (where such information needs to be processed inreal-time);

FIG. 12d shows the central server-side logic of the Access ControlSystem where this authentication is pulled from the server or cachedservers (may be more appropriate in certain applications or forafter-the-fact tariffs, etc);

FIG. 12e shows the client-side logic of the Access Control System wherethis authentication is pulled from the server or cached servers (may bemore appropriate in certain applications or for after-the-fact tariffs);

FIG. 13 shows the logic of a communication system which proxies messagesbetween a transport user and transport provider, providing as well anoperator intervention and automatic rating adjustment to the user'strust level if inappropriate content is requested to be transferred;

FIG. 14a graphically illustrates a geographical representation of anexample shared transport network at a fixed moment in time, with pick-uplocations and active vehicles in the shared transport network shown on astreet map;

FIG. 14b graphically illustrates a geographically simpler representationof the above network with all the street network segments that cannot bereached reduced out of the diagram to make it easier for the transportuser to see what service is available;

FIG. 14c graphically illustrates a representation of the above networkwith only those locations that are directly reachable without transfers,and only those vehicles that are relevant to the starting location ofthe transport user;

FIG. 14d graphically illustrates a representation of the above network,showing the capacities and capabilities of the overall shared transportnetwork, based on a stochastic model, which therefore is used toillustrate the capacity and capability of the network on average, atvarious day-parts, or using other criteria as specified by the system orby the user;

FIG. 14e graphically illustrates a representation of the above network,coded with colors, icons, text, and/or line thickness to indicate thenumber of transfers, wait time, and potentially other factors, necessaryfor the transport user to reach their destination;

FIG. 14f shows a representation of the above network, showing times ofarrival for a given departure point, and whether a transfer wasnecessary from that point;

FIG. 14g provides a table presentation of the above network, showingtime of day output of a hypothetical stochastic model for a set journeystart and end point;

FIG. 14h provides a table presentation of the above network, showing areal time “Departure Board” for a given start point in a combinedstochastic and real-time traffic and capacity model of the network; and

FIG. 14i provides a table presentation of the above network, showing areal time “Journey Planner” for a given start location and destinationlocation, with information including the available transport options,pricing, and arrival times using the transport method.

Referring to FIG. 1, a person 10 desiring transportation service(“Rider”) has a personal communications device 11, optimally equippedwith location information (“GPS Phone”), and uses this device 11,optimally equipped with a software layer with transport intelligence(“Rider Software Interface”), to signal a transportation marketplacenetwork (“Shared Transport Marketplace”) 12 with a demand interest for aparticular start-point (“Pick-up Point”) and endpoint (“DestinationPoint”, and together, the “Demand Route”). The Rider 10 has previouslyregistered with the Shared Transport Marketplace 12, providing whateverregistration details are necessary to contact and verify theidentification of the Rider 10.

Alternatively, the Rider 10′ may employ a fixed communications device11′ in order to communicate with the Shared Transport Marketplace 12.

At the same time, all vehicles that wish to provide transportationservices which are in transit (“Transport Capacity”) have a navigationdevice, typically using GPS or other location finding technology, withbuilt-in or external data communication capability, typically usingcellular phone or wide area wireless data networks (“Sat Nav Tracker”),running a software layer with a Shared Transport interface (“DriverSoftware Interface”).

When a driver starts the vehicle (“Driver” 13), a Driver SoftwareInterface automatically determines if the Driver 13 is engaged in atraditional route (“Supply Route”), and registers the transport capacityof the Driver 13 (“Transport Capacity”) with the Shared TransportMarketplace 12. Alternatively, if the Driver is not engaged in atraditional route, the driver is prompted for their destination, orpossibly is shown a list of riders possibly headed in the same general(or likely) direction as the Driver, for the Driver to consider sharing,if the Driver's destination is not known. This Transport Capacity wouldbe then registered with the Shared Transport Marketplace 12.

The Shared Transport Marketplace 12, which is also accessible by anyinternet terminal, provides to the Rider 10 and to the Driver 13information about Transport Capacity and Transport Demand. Optimally,this marketplace 12 is automatically populated with Supply Routes ofpublic transport (buses, trains, commuter bus lines), to provide theRider 10 with a variety of service types and prices to choose from.Additionally, given the on-demand nature of rides and personaltransport, stochastic models can populate the Supply Routes and DemandRoutes, in order to enable the Rider 10 and Driver 13 to make bettertransport decisions. For example, a Rider 10 in a subdivision of 500homes at 8:30 am on a weekday may poll for a Demand Route and see thatthe only options available from his house to his destination, e.g.,Dublin, are a bus that leaves in 90 minutes for €4 or a taxi that couldbe available in 10 minutes for €35. Given these options, the Rider 10would possibly be forced to choose a taxi. However, if the stochasticmodel indicates that 60 cars depart from that subdivision for Dublinevery weekday morning between 8 am and 9 am, the Rider 10 could beprovided the information that, with 90% certainty, a Supply Route wouldbe available in 4 minutes for €4.50. (That is, the Driver of this car inthat subdivision simply has not turned on his car yet, and would only bein the subdivision for 2 minutes before leaving it for the highway.Therefore, the value of stochastic probable route offerings dramaticallyincreases the quality of the information provided to a prospectiveRider; and thus also increases the likelihood of Riders choosing to usedShared Transport in general). Means of displaying this capacity andproviding useful decision-making ability to the Transport User aredescribed in further detail below.

The Driver 13 could pre-register a specific price for a given transitroute, or could change their price on-the-fly for a route to reflect thesupply and demand for that Route, and the class of service provided (forexample, charging more for a Rider who has excess luggage, or for directpoint-to-point service by taxi transport, or for inclusion of in-vehiclewireless Internet access in places where that service is available).

Normally, however, pricing for a route would be determined by means suchas per mile default rates, the number of seats occupied and other presetfixed and variable charges (zoned pricing, etc). While it is anticipatedthat some users of this system, particularly those Drivers withminibuses or even buses, could use it for profit-making routes, it isthought that normally the individual consumer user will simply berecovering some or most of their transport costs. Some applications mayoffer services without any charge or billing whatsoever.

One of the possible means, and the most likely, of determiningpositioning for the Sat Nav Tracker device 17 and the GPS Phone 11 isthrough the use of a GPS 14 or Magellan satellite as indicated inFIG. 1. Other means for determining position include the use of cellphone towers to determine location, position look-up from WiFi hotspotdata services, etc.

Use may also be made of the Internet as indicated in FIG. 1, as one ofthe means of communicating to and from users and drivers and from fixedkiosks to register trip requests.

The Rider 10, depending upon the mode preferred and the equipmentavailable, can select a Pick-Up Point and Destination Point through avariety of functionally equivalent methods, including (1) calling aperson or voice-response system via telephone whom they can tellverbally or through a DTMF IVR system; (2) using SMS via telephone, ore-mail, with text indication of Demand Route (i.e., “Go Home”, or “Gofrom 12 Marlboro St to Albany Airport”); (3) via an Internet webinterface or dedicated kiosk; or (4) via a GPS Phone with an intelligentand data-driven software interface.

The Rider 10, upon submitting a Demand Route into the Shared TransportMarketplace 12, could be presented with a sorted list of the transportoptions available, by class of service, type of vehicle, time untilTransport Capacity arrives at start-point, estimated transit time toend-point, number of legs in the journey, and cost.

The Destination Point could also be specified by category or purpose, inorder to increase the transport availability and options for the Rider.For example, if the Rider just wants to go to a shopping center, andthere are 10 shopping centers in various directions, they could registerthe general category, and make their selection from the availabletransport options at that point. This could also be limited by brand,such as Starbucks coffee shops or RadioShack electronics stores; or, inthe case of purpose, the Rider could register a request to see aparticular movie, regardless of the cineplex where the film was playing.

In the event that the Rider 10 has a Rider Software Interface on theirphone 11, the Rider 10 selects from the options available to them. Amessage is sent to the nearest appropriate Transport Capacity. TheDriver 13 is automatically guided to the pick-up point, optimallythrough the Sat Nav Tracker 17 display unit with verbal instructions. ADriver Software Interface determines if the Driver 13 is complying withthe pick-up request, optimally based off the vehicle's movement and aperiod of time for the Driver 13 to automatically accept or deny therequest (“Reserved Capacity”).

In the event that the Rider 10 does not have a Rider Software Interface,the Rider can receive/respond to a message of available capacity via themeans most conveniently appropriate to them (i.e., verbally, via textmessage, selecting at the Internet web site, and the like).

Confirmation is then sent to the Rider 10 via a message which optionallydirects Rider to an alternate nearby optimal Pick-up Point in order tomaximize transport efficiency. For example, if the Rider made a requeston an infrequently used street, the Rider may be directed to walk ablock or two to a Pick-up Point where Transport Capacity is available.

At any time up to the proximity alert warning period (“Three MinuteWarning”), the Shared Transport Marketplace 12 will be working tooptimize available capacity and services and will substitute Riders andDrivers, create multiple Riders at the same Pick-up Point to fill theTransport Capacity more efficiently, and the like. The Shared TransportMarketplace 12 will also monitor the Transport Capacity to see if anynew capacity has become available which offers a superior service and/ora lower price option to the Rider 10 (for example, if capacity isintroduced which reduces the number of transfers necessary).

At the time of the Three Minute Warning, a message is sent to the DriverSoftware Interface and the Rider(s) with the information pertinent tothe pick-up destination and the Riders. The Driver Software Interfacethen guides the Driver, optimally through audible cues, directly to thePick-up Point.

At the time when the Rider needs to be in queue (“One Minute Warning”),the Shared Transport Marketplace will optimally automatically confirmfrom the Rider's GPS Phone 11 that the Rider is positioned within acertain proximity to the Pick-up Point (“Reasonable Rider Proximity”).If the Rider is not within Reasonable Rider Proximity, the Demand Routerequest is rescheduled and the Driver is informed that the Rider is notavailable (“Rider No Show”).

At or before the One Minute Warning Time, a message would optimally besent to indicate to the Rider to be on the lookout for the TransportCapacity, along with the specific color, model, picture and/or otheridentifying characteristics of the transport capacity that was arriving.If necessary, the Rider would also be provided with a PIN to verifytheir identity and booking.

Communications between the Sat Nav Tracker 17 and the communicationsnetwork or the GPS Phone 11 can be accomplished from any one or acombination of a variety of direct or indirect data communicationsnetworks, including commonly used wide area networks such as GPRS, 3G,and other cellular communications traffic; 802.11 Wifi or Bluetooth orother similar local data communications networks (in conjunction with,relayed and/or proxied by longer range communications networks asnecessary), and other wide area networking techniques such as WiMax andother technologies that will be introduced in the marketplace from timeto time.

Referring to FIG. 7, rider transactions and events are logged by theShared Transport Marketplace (see elements 702, 704, 706, 707, 709), andif a disproportionately high percentage of Rider Demand Route requestsresult in Rider No Shows (for example, more than 1 out of 10)(“Unreliable Rider”), then the Rider 10 is tested for Reasonable RiderProximity at earlier times, such as the Three Minute Warning period, andthe Driver 13 will not be notified to pick-up this class of UnreliableRider, unless the Unreliable Rider is already at the Pick-up Point,until such time as Rider No Shows passes a standard reliability asapproved by the Shared Transport Marketplace.

Likewise, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a History for Driver transactions islogged by the Shared Transport Marketplace 12 (see elements702,704,705,708,709). If the Rider 10 is waiting at the Pick-up Pointand for whatever reason the Driver 13 does not pick up the Rider 10(“Driver No Show”) and/or is consistently late in picking up Riders, theDriver 13 would be measured for timeliness and Driver No Show rating(“Unreliable Driver”). Such lateness should include reasonableadjustments for consistently gridlocked locations such as city centers,as would be indicated through stochastic measurement of other Driverperformance at the same Pick-up Point. The Driver 13 would likewise beexpected to measure up to a higher level of performance to overcome anearlier unreliability, or the Driver 13 would be ranked lower (“StarRatings”), matched less frequently, and/or possibly expelled from theShared Transport Marketplace 12.

Although Riders/Drivers remain anonymous, system rankings are available,and Riders have the ability to only request Transport Capacity fromDrivers with specified quality Star Ratings, and the like.

Transport Capacity optimally would have an external indicator (“Route IDDisplay”), optimally a bright display that is about the size andposition of the passenger's side sun visor in a car, preferably mountedon the interior of the car, that optimally presents a visualconfirmation of the route identification to the external Rider, so thatas the Transport Capacity approaches, the Rider can begin approachingthe Transport Capacity. While this Route ID 18 is somewhat analogous tothe function served by a Bus Route Information display, the Route IDDisplay 18 has the following additional functions more necessary for apoint-to-point, rider-by-rider shared transport network: Route IDDisplay 18 can be triggered automatically to become visually distinctiveas it approaches a Rider Pick-up Point (analogous to the flashing lightsof a School Bus as it stops to pick up children). As there could behundreds of vehicles on the road that also provide Transport Capacity,this distinctive display serves the unique function of distinguishingthe Dispatched Transport Capacity which has been matched to the DemandRoute from other Transport Capacity which may be on the same road at thesame time. In a low-tech, lower function incarnation, this could simplybe a placard sticker with a fixed ID number.

As the Transport Capacity comes within a viewable distance (“50 meterdisplay”), the Route ID Display 18 could show the particular DemandRoute information and/or other Identification information (PersonalizedRoute ID Information), for example, the readable distance (“20 meterdisplay”), the Route ID Display could show the particular Demand Routeinformation and/or other Identification information (Personalized RouteID Information), for example, the Nickname(s) of the Rider(s) beingpicked up, the Destination Point(s) of the Demand Route(s), and thelike.

As Transport Capacity approaches the Pick-up Point, the Driver wouldposition the vehicle at the Pick-up Point, and optimally the Driverwould be presented with a picture of the Rider(s) and the identificationname of each Rider (“Nickname”). If the Rider does not match theirpicture, the Driver would choose to refuse the shared ride, and wouldsubmit, through the Driver Software Interface, the reason for denyingthe ride. (At this point, an operator of the Shared TransportMarketplace 12 would attempt to contact the Rider through theinformation provided with their registration details to see if there wasa human error or to see if the Rider's GPS Phone had been stolen, inorder to disable future Shared Transport Services). If a PIN wereprovided to the Rider, the Rider would be prompted by the driver toenter the PIN (or the driver would enter it himself), and the matchwould thus be verified, or the match could also be verified through themethod of Continuous Co-ordinated Proximity, described below.

Upon a match-up of Rider 10 and Driver 13, Rider would enter theTransport Capacity vehicle (“In Process Journey”). The Shared TransportMarketplace 12 would then optimally verify, through the locationinformation in the Sat Nav Tracker 17 and in the GPS Phone 11, that theRider and Driver were indeed at the same location.

If the Driver 13 left the Pick-up Point area without picking up theRider 10 (the Shared Transport Marketplace 12 could know this due to thedivergence in location information between the GPS Phone 11 and the SatNav Tracker 17, as shown in FIGS. 10a, 10b, 11a and 11b ), the SharedTransport Marketplace 12 could send messages to the Driver 13 and Rider10 verifying that this was their intent; for example, if the Rider 10had suddenly changed their mind, perhaps to go back to their house toget their umbrella. However, if the Demand Route was still needed, theRider 10 and Driver 13 would be queried on their next action; forexample, if the Rider wished to re-submit their Transport Demandrequest. In that case, the Rider's request would receive higherprioritization in the event there is a queue of Riders at the samelocation, so that the Rider would not have to return to the end of thequeue.

When the Driver 13 approached the Rider Destination, and possibly atpoints along the way, the Rider 10 and Driver 13 could be polled fortheir location information to verify that the ride was progressing(“Continuous Co-ordinated Proximity” elements and methods of which areillustrated in FIGS. 10a and 10b ). Processing and communications couldbe done either locally (using software inside the Transport Capacityvehicle, in Driver Software Interface and Rider Software Interface, andcommunicating via near-field communications inside the TransportCapacity vehicle using software in Driver Software Interface and RiderSoftware Interface, via communications technologies such as Bluetooth,802.11, RFID or their equivalents) or via network polling to Sat NavTracker 17 or GPS Phone 11, or a similar combination of methods andcommunications. The delivery of the transport service could be provenbeyond a reasonable doubt through the continuous co-ordinated proximitybetween the Driver and the Rider according to the verification ofsimulaneous geographic proximity as illustrated in FIG. 10b . At the endof this journey, a message would be send to Rider with the details andany billing information about the journey.

An alternative method of verification of continuously co-ordinatedproximity would be to use the establishment and continuance ofnear-field communications as the primary consideration for determiningstart point of ride sharing experience, and use the breaking of thisnear-field communications between the Sat Nav Tracker 17 and the GPSPhone 11 (in cases other than power-off or reset of devices) toestablish the verified termination point of the journey. The elementsinvolved in this method are shown in FIG. 11a , with the methodologyshown in FIG. 11 b.

Alternately, in a low-tech (and only partially verifiable)implementation of the above, the verification of the Rider pick-up anddelivery could be accomplished through the use of a PIN transmitted tothe Rider, the entry of that PIN by the driver, and a lack of negativeconfirmation when the Rider is presented with the journey summaryinformation.

Important aspects of the above system that were not mentioned in theabove narrative: Trusted Drivers and Trusted Riders are a large part ofthe viability of any Shared Transport System. In order to improve on thequality of this trust, and to provide security assurance to Riders andDrivers, certain behaviors would prompt alert conditions, especiallythose related to security or safety. For example, when a TransportDemand is established which results in an In-Process Journey which isterminated before or at a different point than the establishedDestination Point, this information is logged and could further be usedto generate, for example, automated phone calls to verify the intent ofthe Rider & Driver, including prompting the Rider or Driver forverification of pass codes (“Favorite Color”) which would be establishedupon user registration. If a Rider or Driver was unable to verify theirFavorite Color, human intervention and responses and queries (fromNetwork Operators, optimally, at a Network Operations Center (15), asshown in FIG. 1) could escalate the situation response as appropriate,even initiating vehicle tracking and dispatching security personnel ifappropriate.

Other methods of assuring that the Shared Transport System developed andmaintained good social and safety standards would be a comprehensiveratings system. At the end of each journey, as the Rider leaves thevehicle, they are messaged with the details and cost of their journey ontheir GPS phone 11 (via SMS, e-mail, or via a special application or webpage, for example). This message also could prompt the Rider to rate theDriver, for example, with 1 to 5 stars, on one or more scales (safety,comfort, social factors). A sufficiently low rating (for example, 1star), could be used to automatically “blacklist” that Rider from evermatching with the Driver again (using the Matching Engine 701, as shownin FIG. 7, in conjunction with the rating systems of the TransportProvider Management System 705 and the Transport User Management System706).

Likewise, at the end of the driver's journey, as they stop theirvehicle, they would be automatically prompted to rate the Rider(s) thatthey had carried on their Supply Route. Using the same or similarcriteria, they would provide their feedback to the system about therider. A sufficiently low rating would probably also prompt morerequests for information, such as why the rating was so low.

Such an automatic feedback system would help police the network for badbehavior and thus encourage more responsible behavior on the part ofeveryone using the network.

The network system may also be provided with the following capabilities.

Real-Time Self-Correcting Network Redundancy Elimination:

System feedback, in real-time, to a driver that another public vehicleor Shared Transport vehicle is available within set criteria (ie., withdestination <¼ mile of theirs, with 0 or 1 transfers, with maximum of a5 minute wait). If interested, the driver would receive thelocation/directions to a car park that is in-route.

Period Benefit Cost/Time Analysis:

System log periodically (weekly/monthly, for example) compares transitnetwork availability with actual usage data from an in-car navigationalunit and provides a trip-by-trip summary of which trips would havebenefited through use of the Shared Transport Marketplace, what thecost/time savings would have been if the user had dropped their car at aPark & Ride; also, what the EARNINGS would have been if the user hadpicked up available fares (plus/minus 5 minutes); also, generic tripdata about the average speed, journey time, CO₂ generated and gasconsumed.

Additionally, network capacity demand can be used to calculate anypossible public subsidy or tax credit benefit that can be awarded topotential drivers in exchange for their availability on their normaltransit routes.

Identity Verification System:

Personal communications device could show the picture and nameidentification of the driver responding to pickup request.

Service Provider (Driver) display shows the picture of the Rider 10(service requester in case of cargo or concierge) requesting pickupservice.

Rider/Driver Proxy Messaging System

Normally Riders and Drivers would have no need or use for contactingeach other directly; however, there could be a few circumstances whereit would be useful for one to contact the other, such as in the event ofa lost or found item in a car, or perhaps in certain rare cases wherethey need to reach each other to arrange exact transport details.Normally these users of the system may desire to keep their contactdetails and full identity information (such as name, e-mail or phonenumber) private.

FIG. 13 shows a message proxy system that would enable communicationsbetween members of the community without losing this identity, and also,importantly, disabling any inappropriate content or contact betweencommunity members as well as adjusting the rating of any communitymember as necessary.

In normal usage, the system would function as illustrated in FIG. 13.For example, if a Driver 13 identifies lost items left in their vehicle,they could choose a function on the in-vehicle device (or via a webpage), to send a message to the Rider 10. The system 12 would thenreceive this message 131, evaluate the content for appropriate content132, and if it could automatically determine this, would redirect themessage 134 on to the Rider 10, coding the message with a uniqueidentifier so that it would know to respond to the Driver 13 if theRider 10 responds. If the system could not automatically approve thecontent of the message, the operator would review the content 136, andif the content was OK, the message would be passed on, but if not, themessage would be rejected 138 and the Driver may receive a ratingadjustment 137 and message to reflect the inappropriate use of thesystem. If the Driver's misuse of the system was sufficientlyuntrustworthy, the operator may choose to restrict the Driver'smessaging capabilities, blacklist the Driver 13 for future matches withthis Rider 10, or make other adjustments to the Driver's ratings.

The network could generate near real-time messages using SMS, e-mail, orvoice messages for example, or could, using a similar technique, proxy aphone call if desired and appropriate.

Friends & Family Transit Network

Riders and Drivers can restrict Transport Capacity and Transport Demandmatches to operate only inside closed communities of members, ifdesired. Such closed communities could be, for example, employees of acompany, students and parents at a given school, or membership in agiven social or sports association. These closed communities could bedefined inside the various interfaces available as part of the SharedTransport Marketplace 12, including web pages, or could in fact beauthenticated from other means, such as all those members of the SharedTransport Marketplace who had e-mail addresses ending in @mycompany.comor @myuniversity.edu.

The Network System could also allows users to tag drivers or riders as“friends and family” post ride, over the web in displays of privatenetwork drivers, or through e-mail opt-in.

Existing internet social communities could be used to instantlypre-populate the social communities that the user would want to maketheir Transport Capacity or Transport Demand known to, to help advertiseand expand the reach of the Shared Transport network, or to matchexclusively, or preferably, within the social community.

These “friends & family” designations would become part of the criteriaused to rank available drivers and riders, where the rider or driver hasa preference. Similarly, a rider or driver can tag the other as “notagain”, which could rank these alternatives lower or completely“blacklist” a Rider or Driver from matching directly with each other inthe future.

Scheduled Rides Confirmation:

For rides which are pre-scheduled, software on the user device orthrough the network software will offer periodic warnings and requireconfirmation from a Rider a preset advance notification time (say 15minutes) in advance of pickup, then again a preset nearby notificationtime (say three minutes) before pickup. The Rider has the option todelay or cancel pickup. The Driver is not routed off course or dispatchinformation sent until and unless rider confirms such pre-scheduledintent.

Advantages of Shared Transport System and Service Network

The invention thus provides a system that has the following advantageswhich have benefits to the area of public transport:

A. A matching system for transportation capacity with transportationdemand. The System maintains a matrix of journey time and cost estimatesfor the nodes (pick-up and drop-off points). Next available capacity,and estimated travel time between each of these nodes is maintained.

B. A characterization method for summarizing transport capacity forindividual drivers. Vehicles delivering transport services to commuters(trains, buses, planes) have long used the characterization of “stops”to summarize their transport network services in a way that the consumercould relate to (for example, the #6 subway line, stopping at 34^(th)St, Grand Central Station, 49^(th) St, etc. However, for an individualdriver on their personal daily commute, the typical characterization ofa route is the start and end address. This characterization makes thematching of a driver journey difficult for a passenger. The introductionof computers or GPS systems to the problem doesn't necessarily make thesolution any easier, as computers and GPS systems will often just reducean address down to its geographic co-ordinates (latitude/longitude), orrepresent a drivers' route as a stream of latitude/longitude points.

The system herein described provides an automatic way of converting thecomputer's representation of a driver's route into a format which ismore usable for further analysis and presentation. FIG. 8a graphicallyillustrates an example driver's journey from their work location(Parnell Place, in City Center 802) to their home location (Kinsale 803,in the rural areas). The GPS unit of a car, when recording (orcalculating) the driver's exact route, would represent this journey as aset of co-ordinates. However, for the purposes of establishing a sharedtransport network, it is useful to establish a network of pick-up anddrop-off points (nodes), so that Riders and Drivers can be guided toplaces that are safe and convenient and comfortable for both the Ridersand Drivers. This network of stops can, for example, be pregeneratedfrom existing databases of stops from existing bus networks, enteredusing traditional GIS systems, or in fact created by the in-vehiclesystem 17.

The route of the driver's journey is shown in FIG. 8a as a dark line(801) moving from the north of the map towards the south of the map. Thesystem calculates the places where the route of this line intersects astop node, and thus can present the journey at the end of the route inthe format of a very useful and concise set of major stops, rather thanan incomprehensible list of addresses or geographic co-ordinates. Forexample, the driver's route 801 can automatically indicate that the pathof this route is from Parnell Place 802 to Cork Airport 804 to Farmer'sCross 805.

Furthermore, once the geographic representation is abstracted to stopnodes, it is possible to show the driver's route in a variety ofalternate presentations, such as the presentation shown in FIG. 8b .Here, we see the journey described with an abstraction of the journeystart and end-points 811, where the start point is characterized by thetown name; and we see a graphical presentation of boxes summarizingactivity at each stop along the journey; and we can also see a level ofcharacterizations. A busy city route may actually have many dozens ofstops it could theoretically stop on if there were people waiting at thestop, but perhaps only the most major stops (as coded separately usingoperator intervention or data entry, for example) would be shown inorder to present the information more clearly, The major stops of aroute, as shown in 817, may not necessarily even include the start pointor end point if they are not where the likely traffic would be, forexample.

As shown in the elapsed time between stops 816, it becomes manageable torepresent travel times between nodes using driver's journeys whenorganized as a stream of stop nodes. Likewise, stop nodes makes iteasier to characterize capacity and frequency of travel betweenlocations.

As graphically illustrated in FIG. 9a , using the automaticallygenerated driver's stop nodes to measure and predict capacity, it isalso possible to show the real-time transport capacity of the sharedtransport network, and/or the predicted capacity from the stochastictransport capacity network model. This particular representation showsthe same network model as FIG. 8a , but trimmed to only show thosesegments and nodes in the network that have active transport capacity onthem at the time the user displays the model. This method of graphicallypresenting the reach of the transport network dramatically improves theconfidence that a user would have in the shared transport model, knowingthat they can get from one place to another, and knowing, through thestochastic model, what the availability would be at a different time ofday.

Traditional transport networks have known this for a long time, ofcourse, and so maps of network capacity have long been available onpublic transport systems, although they have not yet been appliedusefully to carpooling systems or this invention of public sharedtransport. Traditional public transport networks have also sought tomake their transport more understandable by simplifying the geographicmaps into quasi-geographic schematic representations that enhancereadability and information display by distorting the geographicaccuracy in certain manners (using only orthogonal and diagonal lines,for example). The system could generate schematic maps automatically(several such programs and techniques are known in academia) using asits source the dynamically created transport network as generated by thereal time and/or stochastic shared transport node model. An example ofthis schematization of a shared transport network is shown in FIG. 9b ,using the model of the 9a network.

C. An active monitoring system for generation of usage/demand data forpoint-to-point routing of participating vehicles. The system looks foroverlaps of capacity and seeks to eliminate redundant capacity (withincertain distance criteria, transfers criteria and timing criteria) bysuggesting route changes or route termination. For example, if five carswere on the route to the same destination, the system could inform thecars that the quality of shared transport service on their route washigh, and could suggest that one or more cars pull over into a Park &Ride (for the Driver to become a Rider in another vehicle's car, as itwould be far more economical than driving himself in a single occupancyvehicle to the same destination). Alternately, this monitoring system'sdata reporting and analysis can be used to suggest the generation of newroutes, or on-the-fly routes, for public transport when enough demandcapacity exists to create transport routes which bypass crowded citycenters or, minimally, can skip stops on an existing route (generatingexpress routes by selecting appropriate Riders to get on the transportcapacity).

D. An active monitoring system for generation of traffic flow data;combined with a central information repository, gives real time networkfor traffic flow throughout a metropolitan area. The system as describedhas the capability to enable any of the Transport Capacity vehicles toact as “traffic probes”, reporting on throughput and delays in traffic.The system would use this data internally in order to better predictarrival time of Transport Capacity at the Rider's Pick-up Point, butthis data could also be shared with the general transport community atlarge as a substitute for other means that they may normally use todetermine road traffic (loop detectors, video cameras, traffic probes,etc).

E. A system to generate matches between route capacity and timing andTransport Demands, from usage data. Regular traffic between nodes andsubsets of nodes is gathered by this system continually (FIG. 7,elements 709, 710, 711, 712), The system 12 can thus tell a user whowishes to go from one point to the next how to best get there using theavailable transport capacity via it's matching engine (element 701).

A graphic illustration is shown in FIG. 14a . In this case, a TransportUser 1401 wants to go from the departure point 1406 to the arrivallocation 1409. Active Transport Capacity 1402 and 1403 both pass by 1406(as known by the system by the declaration of their Supply Routes.Whereas Transport Capacity 1402 has registered a route of 1405, 1406,1407, 1408, Transport Capacity 1403 has registered a route of 1410,1404, 1406, 1407, 1408, 1409. All other considerations being equal, thematching engine 701 would thus match the transport request between stop1406 and stop 1409 using Transport Capacity 1403.

As other vehicles regularly travel between the nodes 1410, 1404, 1406and 1409 at this time of day and day of week, the system would be ableto reliably calculate how much time will elapse until the vehicle hasarrived at the Transport User 1401's pick-up point, and would start thenotification processes as detailed in the system appropriately. Thesystem could also tell the Transport User 1401 at what time they wouldarrive at their destination 1409.

If Transport Capacity 1403 did not make their service available toTransport User 1401, the geographic scope of the search could be widenedand the User could be alerted that an option exists that would get themto a drop-off location 1408 rather than the desired 1409 drop-offlocation, and the user could choose to accept this transport instead.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, Transport Capacity and Transport Demand willhave a variety of providers (402) and users (403), with a potentiallycomplex set of requirements and preferences (404, 405). The matchingengine (401) provides the Transport User with a means to display and/orautomatically book the best options available.

F. Display methods to show available transport capacity and options toTransport Users. While no working system currently exists for the kindof real-time shared transport envisioned by this invention, the closestcomputing systems that perform a similar function are those car-sharingor carpooling schemes which attempt to match riders by destination andorigin, for the purpose of establishing one-time or regular commutingmatches. A major weakness of current state-of-the-art systems forcarpooling is the limited representational capability of these systems,as it is usually difficult to find if there are any services on offer ina given neighborhood or area, to a given neighborhood or area. Currentstate of the art systems assume that no transfers are possible betweenshared transport providers or public transport, and work best when allof the users of the system have a common shared destination or origin(for example, commuters to a given campus, students at a university, or(when trips are to be made across country), members of a given urbanarea). The present system, however, generates a number ofrepresentations of transport capacity which will give encouragement totransport users and providers that service is possible using the presentsystem.

From the live usage data of the system, maps can be presented which showthe real-time capacity of the system. As graphically presented in FIG.14a , live maps could be displayed which show the real time transportcapacity of the network and the stops in the network. However, thesemaps by themselves do not provide a sufficient quality of information togive confidence in the likelihood of a user being able to get from theirstart point (1406) to their destination point (1409). FIG. 14bdemonstrates a more useful presentation of the street network, whichbegins to inform a user how they would use the shared transport networkto reach their chosen destination, or what kind of service availabilitythey would have using the system.

Until a certain critical mass is achieved in a given geography,transfers to non-commercial private transport vehicles will be limited,and so it is important to also be able to show representations of thetransport system showing all possible destinations where no transfersare necessary. This is graphically illustrated in FIG. 14 c.

G. A prediction system to generate available route capacity and timingfrom summary usage data. Traffic data is essentially stochastic, andtherefore this system provides predictions of transport capacity betweenpoints in a way that can be useful to transport users in matching theirtransport needs and in providing them with useful information that makesthem grow to trust the system and make better transport decisions.Because the nature of this system is extremely ad-hoc, few bookings willbe matched far in advance for a specific transport capacity. The bestcapacity for the journey is the capacity flowing by the transport useras they need it. While this approach enables a large number ofadvantages, the central weakness to this approach is in the uncertaintyof a booking, both in terms of its timing and the provider of theservice. Therefore, it is particularly important that this systemprovide excellent information services which overcome theseuncertainties.

As mentioned above, usage data for this system is continually gathered.Beyond the use of this real-time information for the benefit of matchingis the categorization of this usage data into a transport model (FIG. 7,items 701, 702, and 702). This transport model would contain day partinformation for traffic capacity flows. Thus, even if a transport demandwere made that did not currently have transport capacity available, themodel would be able to stochastically determine the likelihood ofservice, at any part of the day. This is graphically depicted in FIG.14d , where the historical availability of transport capacity isrepresented by lines in the street network. Of course, instead of usinga street map presentation of wait times or capacity, a logical schematicof the network amongst transport stops could also be formatted tosimilarly display timeliness and throughput. As shown (1434), the map orschematic could be shown for any day or time period.

In many uses, of course, a tabular representation is preferable andaugments the understanding of a network, and from the generated capacitymodel, tables such as that presented in FIG. 14g would be generated toapproximate the appearance of timetable schedules of traditionaltransport providers, such as city bus or subway networks. Thesetimetables would of course be based off the ad-hoc transport capacity asdriven by transport providers over time. These forms of definitive andstatistically useful information will help transport users gain theconfidence in the viability of shared transport, as well as be aware ofbetter options that they may want to consider. For example, referencingthe combination of FIG. 14g for tabular data and FIG. 14e for graphicalpresentation of a given transport user 1449, we can see that the tabularpresentation shows that from the start point 1471 of the transport user(1441 on the map), to the destination point 1472 (1442 on the map), thegeneral availability would be better at location 1443 (1473), where theaverage waiting period 1475 being less than that at location 1444(1474). However, for the most common commuting hours (7:30-10 am and4:30-7 pm), the availability is similar.

Of course, in some cases drivers could be guided off their normal routeto pick up passengers, and the system would be capable of doing that,but in most cases, it would be more desirable to pick up passengerswithout inconveniencing or disorienting the driver.

It can be readily appreciated how the availability of this informationwould enable users to make better commuting choices. In the table shownin FIG. 14g , only two stops were shown and the rows were broken up bytime of day and subdivided by stop; naturally, this information could beextended if desired into a larger array, or shown in a format of stopsas columns, stops as rows with cells displaying average frequencies; orother typical timetable schedules.

The directionality of the transport traffic is also a major factor inthe display of this stochastic information, and as shown in FIG. 14e ,the reverse route for a commuter transport user 1441 when returning homecould appear very different graphically, depending on transport capacityusage history, from the opposite direction. FIG. 14e also shows how acombination of historical data plus real-time data can be used toprovide a blend of information to the transport user. This presentationof a blend of statistically generated timetables as well as real-timepresentation of capacity would also be essential to the operationscenter staff in helping transport users understand their options as wellas influencing any marketing or operations plans they would have toexpand the network, and could also be used to help determineautomatically if there are any unusual activities such as road closingsor traffic jams, where the historical data and the real-time data variedsignificantly.

Using this system it can be extremely useful to display the combinationof statistical transport models with real-time information in tabularformat. FIG. 14h graphically illustrates one form of a “departure board”for a shared transport network. Departure boards, as seen often inairports, train stations and other transport hubs, provide the answer tothe question “where can I go from here?”.

Shared transport would provide a new opportunity for departure boards tobe used in corporate campuses, lobbies, and other places where publictransport has traditionally underserved the population. Shared transportdeparture boards could combine public transport information, privateshuttle services, and shared transport services. While a preferred formof a departure board would be a separate physical display, it is ofcourse possible to have departure boards take the form of web pages, aframe within web pages, or special “widget/gadget” style small programsthat people could run on their portable phones or personal computingdevices.

However, in the case where the transport service is not provided byscheduled services, the provision of a statistical transport model inconjunction with a real-time network is essential to providing thisinformation, particularly in cases where the transport is leaving fromwithin a campus (or housing subdivision) and moving out of rangequickly. In a case where 15 vehicles leave a subdivision and head to acity center between the hours of 7:30 and 8:00 am daily, it could beapproximated that one vehicle moves between this journey's start and endpoints once every two minutes.

Consider again FIG. 14e , where a transport user 1449 would like to findout what the availability of capacity is between start point 1441 anddestination point 1442. Some transport capacity 1448 is positioned in aparking garage near the city center and also intends to go todestination 1442. As the transport capacity 1448 turns on their vehicle,they may only be within the area close to start point 1441 for a minuteand two. As a result, if most of the transport capacity were coming fromsimilar location, the transport user 1449 may not see the possibledestinations until a few moments before they became available formatching, if at all.

As departure boards also serve the function of advertising theavailability of transport options, the shared transport departure boardwould be under-representing the possible answers to the question “wherecan I go from here?” unless it includes a statistical model in thepresentation of the departure board. FIG. 14h shows a table combiningreal time network information with statistical network information.Here, FIG. 14h is a tabular representation of FIG. 14e , and thetransport user 1449 wants to go from 1441/1481 to 1442/1482, Estimateddeparture times 1485 show two forms of numbers, perhaps graphicallydisplayed with different characteristics, with real-time information foractual vehicles shown as indicated in 1486 and statistically establishedtiming shown as in 1487.

Note also the departure board format would display major intermediatejourney nodes 1488, as discussed above and calculated and characterizedautomatically by the system. Oftentimes, an end destination 1485 is notknown by a viewer, and the intermediate points 1488 are the points ofinterest. As the purpose of the departure board is to improve theperception and communication of transport options, the characterizationof the path of stops, described above in the description of FIGS. 8a and8b , further improves the transport user's information experience.

H. A journey planner for a shared transport network. Journey Planners,which show best available routes between start point 1491 anddestination point 1492 as well as cost and schedule information, are awell-known concept for public transport, but have not been used todescribe non-scheduled transport services. As shown in FIG. 14i , theJourney Planner would operate similarly to existing public transportnetwork journey planners, but would also incorporate the statisticalmodel of available shared transport 1495, and real-time shared transportinformation to provide best possible combinations between 1493, 1494 toprovide the user with the widest range of useful options.

I. As the Shared Transport network expands, more transport capacity willbecome available regularly on certain routes. The system as describedwould be fully aware of which routes have underutilitized capacity, andwould also be aware of transport users previously registered transportdemands. Whereas normal public transport networks don't appear to haveany awareness of who is using their services, the present system wouldcommunicate with its transport users to let them know about expandedhours of quality service (for example, less than 10 minute wait forservices), and/or expansions of service into new outlying areas for thatuser, etc.

J. Governmental agencies and local authorities have long sought toencourage the use of carpooling, using incentives such as HOV (highoccupancy vehicle) lanes, discounted tolls, and tax deductions for theuse of public transport means. In the near future it is anticipated thatfurther incentives may be brought to bear, given the extreme shortagesof oil which are expected in the years of 2011 and beyond, as well asthe increased awareness of global warming. In addition, companies andorganizations who are pressed for parking spaces are highly motivated totry to get their workers to carpool, and sometimes provide free orpremium location car parking spaces to those who carpool. To increasethe effectiveness and efficiency and compliance with these measures, itis anticipated that automated means may be desirable to authenticate theuse of the vehicle in shared transport applications, as shown in FIG. 12a.

In this access control system, a vehicle 1209 would approach an “accessgate” 1208, for example, a toll booth 1204 or a parking lot access gate1206. Whether the system was a server push or client pull system (FIG.12b , FIG. 12c , FIG. 12d , or Fib 12 e), the information about theShared Transport status and business rules would be processed at theAccess Server 1207, and, if access was permissible, the gate 1208 wouldbe lifted, allowing free or discounted access to the resources of thecompany or governmental agency. In fact, no gate 1208 would necessarilybe required, as the system could be a tolling system which simplycharges a different rate depending on the occupancy of the car, etc.

Throughout the year that the car is used, the usage of the car could bemeasured in terms of the percentage of time it was used for sharedtransport, and this could, if it passed a certain threshold, qualify thetransport provider to benefit from certain tax benefits, carbon credits,and the like.

K. A trust system for managing networks of Transport Providers withvarying trust characteristics. As shown in FIG. 7, the TransportProviders/Drivers are managed by a system 705 which considers theirratings (as provided to the system by an Activity and Event Manager 702)and their community memberships 713. This enables, as shown in FIG. 4,the Matching Engine 401 to consider matching transport demands with avariety of Transport Providers 402 and Provider criteria 404.

L. A self-correcting trust system for feedback of Rider response toDriver performance. As shown in FIG. 7, when a Journey has been matchedbetween a Transport Provider 720 (Driver) and a Transport User 721(Rider), the Journey is actively managed by the system 704. As part ofthis process, the Rider is prompted to provide a measurement oftrustability to the Driver. This event 702 is then passed on to theself-correcting trust system within the Transport Provider DataManagement system 705.

M. A self-correcting trust system for managing Driver preferences ofvarious Riders. Likewise, as shown in FIG. 7, the Transport Provider isprompted to provide a measurement of trustability to the Transport User.This event 702 is then passed on to the self-correcting trust systemwithin the Transport User Data Management system 706.

N. A modification of the above system to allow it to be used totransport goods and merchandise by having the Transport User sendpackages instead of using the system for personal transport, butotherwise using a similar Shared Transport Marketplace for matchingtransport need and rating of providers.

O. The Driver can also be driving a bus (whether a private or publictransport service), a taxi, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 2, the transport capacity computing and communicationscomponents of the network system include components for (1) location anddirection, many of which can supplement the locational accuracy whereGPS technology is not functional or is less desired (for example,underground transport forms would be more likely to use fixed position“markers” to determine the location of the transport capacity, and inthe same underground transport situation, the GPS Phone would ideally beequipped with 802.11b technology and a reference database of positionallocation of underground wireless 802.11b or similar local wirelessnetworking broadcasting devices in order to determine location andfacilitate data communications); (2) Far-field communications list someof the communications methods used to facilitate interaction with theShared Transport Marketplace, including the possibility of using voiceor IVR interaction with a system operator rather than data networking;(3) Near-field communications detail methods would could be used tocommunicate between Rider and Driver computing/communication devices(preferred in order to reduce data congestion and airtime charges); (4)supply routes include those information sources and database of commonlyused and widely known location names that will feed the Shared TransportMarketplace with available and potentially available transport capacityfrom the Driver and public transport sources; and (5) Demand route,which includes several possible methods of requesting a route by aRider. The devices and inputs used by each of these five components areas listed.

Referring to FIG. 3, the rider technology components of the networksystem include components for (1) Location, that is, several methods fordetermining the exact position of the Rider for communication to theShared Transport Marketplace; (2) Location transmission, that is, theinterface that the Rider uses to transmit his Demand Request; (3)Computing Component, that is, the device that the Rider uses to transmithis Demand Request; (4) Internet, that is, either the broad Internet ora limited Intranet which enables the data transmissions between theShared Transport Marketplace and the Rider; and (5) Demand Route, whichincludes many of the databases and the pricing and membership modelswhich enable a given Rider to take advantage of a variety of possibletypes of Transport Capacity. In addition, the devices and inputs used byeach of these five components are as listed.

Referring to FIG. 4, the multiple uses and operations of the networksystem are shown graphically and include components for (1) Supply SideRoutes, which include the databases of providers of shared transportservices, (2) Demand Side Routes 407, which include a subset of possiblemethods for a Transport User 403 to request a Route, (3) Request Methods408 and Availability Methods 406, which include a variety of methodswhich could be used to communicate between the Rider, Driver, and thenetwork system. The Matching Engine 401 would consider the availabilityof transport capacity, provider criteria 404 and transport demandcriteria 405 in providing ideal matches for the request.

Referring to FIG. 5a , the experience of a rider in using the networksystem are shown as a flowchart and are believed to be self-explanatory,as they have been described in text above. Use of specific references totime, ie., “Three Minute Confirmation”, are completely configurable bythe user and would be changed either automatically or manually toreflect different modes of transport and interchange or uses of thegeneral system The accompanying table, FIG. 5b , provides furtherspecifics on data and usage of the functions in the flowchart of FIG. 5a. The experiences may stored in memory and printed out.

Referring to FIG. 6a , the experiences of a Driver in using the networksystem is shown as a flowchart and are believed to be self-explanatory,as they have been described in the text above. The experiences maystored in memory and printed out. The accompanying table, FIG. 6b ,provides further specifics on data and usage of the functions in theflowchart of FIG. 6 a.

Referring to FIG. 7, the Shared Transport Marketplace will be composedof a number of computer servers networked together to perform the dataand communications functions as specified. Communications interfaces 723will enable the system to communicate automatically between otherautomated computer systems, to individuals via computer interfaces, toindividuals via telephonic interfaces, Sat-nay units, and the like.

Continuous Co-Ordinated Proximity System

In order to improve the user experience and the rapidity of verificationof transport user ID and thus reduce the delay of loading people orgoods into a transport vehicle, it would be desirable to have means toquickly verify the identity of the transport user for the transportprovider, in order to know that the passenger is a paying and trustablepassenger, as well as to confirm the drop-off location of the transportuser.

Referring to FIG. 10a , the elements necessary to determine if thereexists continuous co-ordinated proximity are the monitoring andverification system 1001, a Transport User Device 1002 and a TransportProvider Device 1003. Each of the devices 1002 and 1003 would need tohave a means to determine their location. Additionally, for the“independent verification” method, there would need to be far-range datacommunication means 1005 and 1006. Optionally, there can also becommunications between the devices 1002 & 1003 via a far-range ornear-field data communications means.

Referring to FIG. 10b , the logic necessary for a central server todetermine if there exists continuous co-ordinated proximity by themethod of independent verification is shown in the flowchart.

Referring to FIG. 11a , the elements necessary to determine if thereexists continuous co-ordinated proximity via verification of near-fieldcommunications link are the monitoring and verification system 1101, aTransport User Device 1102 and a Transport Provider Device 1103.Additionally, for this “near-field communications verification” method,there would be near-field data communication means 1104 between devices1102 & 1103. Optionally, there can also be communications between one ormore of the devices 1102 & 1103 via a far-range communications means1105 or 1106. In the near-field communications method, one or more ofthe devices 1102 and 1103 need to have a means to determine location.The logic for the determination of continuous proximity, as shown inFIG. 11b , would run on either device 1102 or 1103, though more likelyon the Transport Provider device 1103. The communications with theMonitoring and Verification system 1101 would be between the devicerunning the logic as shown in FIG. 11b . In the event that the data doesnot need to be communicated real-time, or in service areas where thereisn't continuous data communications capacity, the logic system couldcache the start and end positions of the transport service betweendevices 1102 and 1103, or a plurality of other such transport services,and when the logic system does come into networking contact ofMonitoring system 1101, the entire cache could then be transmitted.

Using such a cache system would have the following benefits: reducingthe data communications expenses by sending less transmissions,increasing the areas of service to include those areas where datacommunications is unavailable, and, where no far-field communicationsare needed at all, reducing the hardware requirements of a continuousco-ordinated proximity service. In this case, the transport providerwould have to, perhaps daily, come in contact with a near-fieldcommunications network.

Hardware and Software Components Transport User Device

Optimally, a GPS phone with an ability to display graphics, serving theprimary functions of enabling Transport User to book travel, receiveupdates on travel information, confirm bookings and receive activityreceipts, provide proof of identity and location, as well as updatetrust ratings on providers in the network.

Transport Provider Device

Minimally, a GPS phone with an ability to display graphics. Optimally, apersonal navigation device or built-in sat-nay unit, serving the primaryfunctions of enabling transport provider to advertise spare transportcapacity, route the driver to pick-up locations, confirm or cancelbookings, provide proof of identity and location, update trust ratingson transport users and suitability of geographic locations.

Network Operations Center

Computers and Display systems networked to the Shared TransitMarketplace Server, with telecommunications capacity for call center andoperations staff, serving the primary functions of enabling the bookingof travel and conveyance of information about network services, customerinquiries, management of physical and logical and transportation networkcapacity and organization, and the business management of transportoperations.

Shared Transit Marketplace Server

A network of computers attached to the Internet and telecommunicationsservices. Providing automated functions for the Network OperationsCenter, Transport Users and Transport Providers, including matchingdemands, refining trustability ratings, optimizing capacity andefficient throughput of the system.

Characteristics of the Shared Transport Marketplace Method

-   -   a) providing an electronic registry of capacity containing a        plurality of geographic locations, where one or more electronic        devices in each of a plurality of transport vehicles registers        the spare transport capacity and location information of the        vehicles via wireless data communications to the registry of        capacity,    -   b) providing an electronic registry of demand, where the        transport demand needs of a plurality of individuals or items is        registered by a plurality of means to the registry of demand by        the transport user,        -   i. where such plurality of individuals or items can include            registration via Internet web pages and Internet            applications, via SMS messages, via e-mail, via IVR systems,            via telephone operators, via applications or web pages            running on handheld wireless devices such as location-aware            phones, and the like        -   ii. where such demand can be limited to a set of rules not            just between start and destination locations and needed            capacity of seats or space, but also include such            limitations as requirements for the transport provider to be            of a certain level of experience, gender, or membership in            certain closed communities, or for the transport capacity to            have certain conveniences or services, such as baby seats,            wheelchair access.            -   (a) where such closed communities may include persons                associated with a certain company, university, social                group, or Internet social networking community, for                example.        -   iii. where such demand can include destination locations            that are specified by purpose of journey or type of            destination, increasing the availability and timeliness of            transport options to the transport user.            -   (a) where such type of destination could be specified to                be any typical consumer or business category, such as                supermarket, shopping mall, coffee shop, or a specific                brand of these,            -   (b) where such purpose of journey could be one or a                combination of factors, such as to see a specific movie                title, regardless of the cineplex where it was showing.    -   c) providing a central processing capability in each or in a        plurality of geographies to provide one or more matches of the        transport capacity with the transport demand,        -   i. according to any specific limitations the demand may            restrictively preset, and any predetermined trustability            parameters set by the transport demand and the transport            capacity.            -   (a) including trust parameters, such as the sex or                experience of the transport provider or transport user            -   (b) including demand requirements, such as the                availability of a child seat or wheelchair access            -   (c) including trust parameters restricting matches to                those within a set of pre-approved transport providers                or transport users from a given company            -   (d) including trust parameters restricting matches to                those with membership in a pre-defined social group,                club, or Internet community.            -   (e) including trust parameters restricting matches to                those with sufficiently high transport community                ratings,                -   1. providing a self-correcting system to the                    community of transport capacity providers and                    transport users to continuously update transport                    provider and transport user ratings,    -   d) providing a means of automated communication with the        transport capacity to confirm the availability and willingness        of the capacity to transport the demand; and likewise providing        a means of automated communication with the transport demand to        confirm the booking details of the capacity;        -   i. providing a means to direct the transport capacity to the            geographic position of the transport demand(s), and            automatically redirecting the transport capacity to the            meeting point location of the transport demand if transport            capacity needs to be re-routed,            -   ii. describing booking details to the transport demand                of the transport capacity including such possibilities                as, the time and location of the pickup along with                identifying characteristics of the transport capacity                and booking confirmation information.            -   (a) where, depending on the timeliness reliability                rating of the transport user, notice of the transport                capacity must be confirmed at an earlier time than                otherwise required.    -   e) providing a means of tracking the pick-up and delivery of the        transport demand by the transport capacity        -   i. automatically re-allocating and rescheduling a missed            pick-up to other available transport capacity in the            registry of transport        -   ii. providing a registry of missed pick-ups which is updated            whenever the Transport Provider fails to pick up the            Transport User who was in position at the Transport Start,            where the missed-pick-up registry is used as a factor in the            rating system for the transport Provider.        -   iii. providing a report of missed pick-up to a network            operations center to provide for manual intervention if            necessary.        -   iv. providing a means of verifying and vetting the truth and            authorization of the transport provider and the transport            user            -   (a) where such means of verification of the pick-up of                the transport capacity by the transport provider can be                accomplished by methods including                -   1. entry of a PIN (personal identification number)                    provided by the transport user to the transport                    provider and entered on the in-vehicle system.                -    1. where such PIN could be generated automatically                    and communicated to the transport user upon                    confirmation of the transport capacity via automated                    communications (SMS or e-mail or IVR) in the booking                    details.                -    2. near-field communications between the in-vehicle                    system and the transport user's personal                    communications device (or other ID, including                    payment ID), verifying the transport demand's                    physical presence.                -    3. automatic determination of continuous proximity                    between the transport capacity's geographic location                    with the transport demand's geographic location, by                    periodic confirmation by the central tracking system                    of the location of the in-vehicle device and the                    personal communication device.                -    4. interaction, either through data or through                    verbal communication, between the network operations                    center and the transport provider and the transport                    user, using predetermined pass codes to confirm the                    identity and testimony of the transport provider and                    the transport user.                -   2. providing the transport user's proof of delivery                    to the destination location by the registration of                    route positions and timing of the transport capacity                    via automatic communication between the in-vehicle                    device, by the confirmation of the transport                    provider and the transport user.                -    1. where the confirmation of the transport provider                    and the transport user can be automatically provided                    by electronic devices, or by the co-ordinated                    proximity method, or by the breaking of near-field                    communications between the transport user and the                    transport provider, or by a services message receipt                    which remains uncontested at the destination                    location.

Characteristics of the Network Operations Center

-   -   f) bringing service irregularities to the attention of        operations personnel,    -   g) alerting such personnel to events from missed pick-ups to        occasions, such as a transport provider who is off-route from        the destination location of the transport capacity (“errant        vehicle”).    -   h) providing automated escalation of response, depending on        safety and security preferences and needs, whereby potentially        dangerous situations are rapidly escalated for manual        intervention of operators at the network operations center or        security or public safety personnel,    -   i) providing an ability to continuously track the physical        location of an errant vehicle and the transport capacity.    -   j) providing the capability of booking services to those who        don't use more automated means, with the network operations        personnel booking the request, or answering requests for        information, for the telephone caller.

Additional Secondary Registry of Transport Capacity

An additional secondary registry of transport capacity may be added tothe system

-   -   to allow transport capacity to see both the shared transport        network data and network data of public and private        transportation network operators,    -   to show the transport user whichever network services best fits        their demand    -   to book transport capacity on the shared transport network or        with public and private operators.    -   i. providing similar notification and cashless transaction        benefit to users of both public transport and shared transport.        -   (a) where the public or private transport operator has an            existing system with PIN authorization, or an integrated            ticketing system compatible with the shared transport            system, providing necessary authorization and PIN to the            transport user.        -   (b) where the public or private transport operator has no            existing system for PIN authorization, providing the            transport operator with the in-vehicle device, or a            commercial version of the same.    -   ii. enabling the benefit of reduced tax consequences for those        governmental entities that allow pre-tax deductions or credits        for transportation expenses as detailed.

The transport capacity can be registered automatically, by simplemovement of the vehicle indicating the direction and destination of thetransport capacity:

-   -   where the destination of the vehicle is predetermined by a route        or schedule pre-registered by the transport capacity;    -   where the destination of the vehicle is determined by comparing        its position and timing to predetermined schedules associated        with that vehicle

The usage of the system by transport providers and transport users canbe tracked:

-   -   providing a registry of service credits provided by transport        providers and transport users, including,    -   i. interchanging services with all other members of the network,        providing documentation to eliminate taxable consequences where        local laws permit,    -   ii. reducing effective cost for the transport user where local        laws permit by providing the transport user with an        authorization system to credit the service credit system from        their pre-tax income, either directed by the employer or by the        employee,    -   iii. providing a detail and registry of usage which qualifies        transport providers and transport users with information means        sufficient to satisfy governmental laws to qualify for any tax        credits or means for preferential road allowances and privileges        which may be enabled through legislation,        -   (a) means for preferential road allowances shall include            such preferential treatment such as access to HOV lanes,            reduced or eliminated cost for such governmental programs as            congestion charging, road usage charging, toll road access,            parking and preferred-location parking.        -   (b) qualification for tax credits could include the            computation of carbon benefits, vehicle registration taxes,            annual road charges of using the invention over traditional            means of transport.        -   (c) whereby information means to satisfy governmental            authorization could include such means as real-time access            to a central or proxy servers,            -   1. real-time access control including such things as                barrier gate authorization at tolls, reduced charges for                road usage when the vehicle contains more transport                users or transport capacity, access to HOV lanes, or in                parking lots.    -   iv. providing access control information for private or        governmental users for parking or entry gates,        -   (a) whereby the approval of the access to restricted,            preferred parking, or reduced charges for such, could be            determined via real-time or near-real time access to the            central registry (or its proxy), or an on-board device            authorized by the activity of the transport capacity.

The system for tracking the usage of system by transport providers andtransport users may comprise

-   -   measuring the volume of journeys between a plurality of        locations, where the volume of spare transport capacity is        continually monitored by wireless communications with the        location-aware vehicles,    -   storing this information in a stochastic data model, which can        then predict available capacity and demand between any point in        the covered geographic regions of the network by time of day,        day of week, and day of year,    -   providing transport users and transport providers with means to        retrieve information about the likely availability of transport        capacity and transport demand between any given start and        destination locations, at a specific time of day or in general.

This latter system may also be provided with system means to retrieveinformation via real-time display on web pages, via SMS/e-mail, via IVRor operator-assisted verbal conveyance of this information. Theinformation may be periodically sent to the transport user, or sent tothe transport user when triggered by new services or higher qualityoptions appearing in areas where the user has registered an interest orpreviously travelled using the system.

The system also provides for showing real-time, variable transportcapacity on a display. To this end, the system:

-   -   provides a registry which is able to store and display a series        of destinations and times from any given departure area, along        with other specifics        -   i. including public and private transport operations        -   ii. including departure points within a departure area (that            is, gates, bays, or geographically distinct pick-up points            in densely populated areas, modal interchange points, and            campuses).        -   iii. displaying major intermediate locations served by the            individual routes    -   shows the plurality of transport capacities passing the        departure area        -   i. where the display could be placed in the lobby of a            corporate campus as a visual reminder as people leave work            that there are other transport options available to them        -   ii. where the display could be shown as a web page, a frame            or portal within a web page, or as a component of a user's            configurable home page, portal, or social networking            community,        -   iii. where the display could also be mounted as a            conventional real-time passenger Information display at or            near a conventional bus or public transport stop, with the            added shared transport information displayed.    -   shows the real-time departure needs of registered Transport        Demands, as a means of stimulating Transport Capacity market for        more capacity.    -   calculates and displays a real-time network map of available        transport in the shared transport network, where such map is a        graphic representation (like a subway network of a city) of the        available destinations reachable by the transport network.

The display of transport capacity may include the stochasticavailability of transport capacity between locations, such as, forexample, average availability of spare capacity every 5 minutes between8 am and 9 am from Portarlington to Dublin.

The transport capacity has the ability to provide one or a plurality ofratings for the transport demand, after the demand has been satisfied.These ratings of the transport provider and transport user can beaffected by issues, such as their proclivity to miss reserved meetingsor not pay for their transport usage.

The transport capacity can visually signal its arrival at a meetingplace by distinctive, externally visible indicators, e.g. one or aplurality of light emitting devices attached to the side of thevehicle's navigational system which faces in the direction of thedriver's trajectory and/or the side of the navigational system which isin the direction of the face of the car, or attached to the rear side ofthe passenger's side sun visor of the car, or triggered by an in-vehiclesystem, but would use built-in external lights of the vehicle displayingin a set pattern to indicate pertinent information.

The externally visible indicator could also contain a particular messagewhich would match with a code corresponding with the transportcapacity's details. The message could be the name of a passenger ordestination of the transport capacity or could contain a portion of aconfidential Personal Identification Number that the transport capacitywould have received in its confirmation message of the transportcapacity.

Automatic verification of the delivery of transport services byindependent confirmation of continuous co-ordinated proximity can beperformed. For example, two different devices, one possessed by thetransport provider, and the other by the transport user, with eachhaving separately determined but accurate location and time information(for example, GPS phones) can be asserted to be verifiably in transitwith each other through their continuous co-ordinated proximity. Thisassertion could be used as a verification of services provided orservices used for the time and distance spent in transit, with relatedcharges. This enables billing for the delivered service.

Further, two different devices can be used, one possessed by thetransport provider, and the other by the transport user, with at leastone having accurate location information, but both having a means todetermine their continuous proximity to each other. One example of ameans of determining continuous proximity would be the continuouspresence of a near field wireless link (such as two devices withbluetooth or 802.11b).

Where both devices have live wireless data transmission capabilities tosome central server, to provide independent confirmation of continuousproximity with link, reducing possibilities of fraud.

The invention thus provides a system that enables regular highwaytraffic and privately owned personal transport systems to augment andenable public mass transit networks.

The invention also provides a system that can match a rider's needs tomove from one geographic point to another geographic point with anunrelated driver's unused transportation capacity.

The invention further provides an ad-hoc shared transport system formatching transport capacity with transport demand across a plurality oftransport providers and a plurality of transport users.

1. (canceled)
 2. A method of verifying vehicle occupancy in an accesscontrol system, wherein the access control system comprises averification system and a transport provider device associated with atransport provider for measuring vehicle occupancy of the transportprovider in transit, the method comprising: detecting, by theverification system, a first transport user device to be in near-fieldcommunication proximity to the transport provider device during transit;setting, by the verification system, the occupancy count to a firstvalue when detecting the first transport user device in near-fieldcommunication proximity to the transport provider device during transit;storing, by the verification system, the occupancy count at a storagedevice of the verification system; detecting, by the verificationsystem, whether a second transport user device is in near-fieldcommunication proximity to the transport provider device during transit;updating, by the verification system, the occupancy count to a secondvalue if the second transport user device is detected in near-fieldcommunication proximity to the transport provider device during transit;storing, by the verification system, the updated occupancy count at thestorage device of the verification system; and sending, from the storagedevice, the updated occupancy count to an access server, wherein theaccess server analyzes the updated occupancy count and sends theanalyzed updated occupancy count to a receiving entity.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the near-field communication proximity is determined byBluetooth technology.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the receivingentity is an access point associated with a high occupancy vehicle (HOV)lane.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving entity is anaccess point associated with a parking lot.
 6. The method of claim 2,wherein the receiving entity is a tolling system associated with a tollroad, and wherein the tolling system applies discounted tolls based onthe analyzed updated occupancy count.
 7. The method of claim 2, whereinthe storage device is a cache of the transport provider device.
 8. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the updated occupancy count is decreased to areduced value when the first transport user device is no longer detectedin near-field communication proximity to the transport provider device.9. The method of claim 2, wherein the verification system checks forfraud by detecting the relative distance between the first transportuser device and the second transport user device at a predetermined timeinterval.
 10. The method of claim 2, wherein the verification systemdetermines a location of the transport provider device based on globalpositioning system (“GPS”) technology included in the transport providerdevice.
 11. The method of claim 2, wherein the verification systemdetermines a location of the first transport user device and a locationof the second transport user device based on global positioning system(“GPS”) technology included in the first transport user device and thesecond transport user device, respectively.
 12. The method of claim 2,wherein a rate is determined based on a transport journey of the firsttransport user device, wherein the transport journey starts when thefirst transport user device is detected in near-field communicationproximity to the transport provider device, and wherein the transportjourney ends when the first transport user device is no longer detectedin near-field communication proximity to the transport provider device.13. A computer system for verifying vehicle occupancy in an accesscontrol system, wherein the access control system comprises averification system and a transport provider device associated with atransport provider for measuring a vehicle occupancy of the transportprovider in transit, the system comprising: a memory havingprocessor-readable instructions stored therein; and a processorconfigured to access the memory and execute the processor-readableinstructions, which when executed by the processor configures theprocessor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to:detect, by the verification system, a first transport user device to bein near-field communication proximity to the transport provider device;set, by the verification system, the occupancy count to a first valuewhen detecting the first transport user device in near-fieldcommunication proximity to the transport provider device during transit;store, by the verification system, the occupancy count at a storagedevice of the verification system; detect, by the verification system,whether a second transport user device is in near-field communicationproximity to the transport provider device; update, by the verificationsystem, the occupancy count to a second value if the second transportuser device is detected in near-field communication proximity to thetransport provider device during transit; store, by the verificationsystem, the updated occupancy count at the storage device of theverification system; and send, from the storage device, the updatedoccupancy count to an access server, wherein the access server analyzesthe updated occupancy count and sends the analyzed updated occupancycount to a receiving entity.
 14. The computer system of claim 13,wherein the near-field communication proximity is determined byBluetooth technology.
 15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein thereceiving entity is an access point associated with a high occupancyvehicle (HOV) lane.
 16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein thereceiving entity is an access point associated with a parking lot. 17.The computer system of claim 13, wherein the receiving entity is atolling system associated with a toll road, and wherein the tollingsystem applies discounted tolls based on the analyzed updated occupancycount.
 18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the storage deviceis a cache of the transport provider device.
 19. The computer system ofclaim 13, wherein the updated occupancy count is decreased to a reducedvalue when the first transport user device is no longer in near-fieldcommunication proximity to the transport provider device.
 20. Thecomputer system of claim 13, wherein the verification system determinesa location of the transport provider device based on global positioningsystem (“GPS”) technology included in the transport provider device. 21.The computer system of claim 13, wherein the verification systemdetermines a location of the first transport user device and a locationof the second transport user device based on global positioning system(“GPS”) technology included in the first transport user device and thesecond transport user device, respectively.